Richard W. Pound

ABOUT

Richard Pound is a counsel in the Tax Group of Stikeman Elliott. His main areas of practice include tax litigation and negotiations with tax authorities on behalf of clients, general tax advisory work and commercial and sport arbitration.

Professional Activities

Richard is a member of the Canadian Tax Foundation, l’Association de planification fiscale et financière and the Canadian Bar Association. He is a member of the Quebec and Ontario Bars and is a Chartered Professional Accountant in both jurisdictions.

He is member of the International Olympic Committee and has held the position of vice president twice: from 1987 to 1991 and from 1996 to 2000. He was Chairman of the Olympic Games Study Commission. He was Chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and, from 1984 to 2001, directed, inter alia, all Olympic television negotiations, marketing and sponsorships.

He was the founding Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (1999-2007) and remains a member of its Foundation Board. He was Chairman of the panel reviewing the governance of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

He was Honorary Consul General of Norway in Montréal for more than two decades.

He is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council.

Richard has served as a member of the Federal Court Bench and Bar Liaison Committee from 1999-2002 and from 2003 to 2007.

He is a former chairman of Canada’s National History Society and a former director of the RCMP Heritage Centre.

He was a director of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games throughout the existence of that organization. Since 2007, he is a member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport.

He is president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

He is Chairman of Olympic Broadcasting Services.

Background

In 1992, Richard was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.) and in December 2014 was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada (C.C.), the highest level of the Order, which recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the country.

He was appointed Emeritus Lawyer (Ad. E.) by the Quebec Bar in May 2010, named Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Canadian Grenadier Guards in 2007 and promoted to Honorary Colonel in 2014.

He is a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec (FCA) since 2001 and won the 2012 Outstanding Achievement Award, the Ordre’s highest recognition for members of the profession.

Richard has been named to Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for his relentless efforts to rid sport of performance-enhancing drugs.

In July 2009, he was awarded the Ernest T. Stewart Award, CASE’s highest honour for a graduate who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for his alma mater. He is only the second Canadian in the 59 year history of the award to receive the prize.

In February 2008, he was awarded the Laureus “Spirit of Sport” Prize for his work as head of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Former Olympic swimmer and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee, Richard has been inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sports, both as an athlete and as an executive. He is a past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Greater Montreal and honorary chairman of Swimming Canada’s CANswim Movement as well as former chairman of Drug Free Kids Canada.

He was awarded the designation of Q.C. by the federal government in 1992.

Richard has lectured in taxation matters at the McGill University Faculty of Law and for its Centre for Continuing Education in the Chartered Accountancy program. He was Chancellor of McGill University (1999-2009) and Chancellor Emeritus effective July 1, 2009, and was Chair of the Board of Governors (1994-1999). In recognition of his distinguished engagement, McGill University has established a scholarship in his honour for incoming undergraduates, showing “promise of future success and responsible citizenship”.